There is still time for our Western MA Senate delegation to sign on as co-sponsors to budget amendments that reflect the Network’s budget priorities. Please contact your senator today (and if it is Senator Rosenberg, it is still very useful to hear your support).
You can find your State Senator’s contact information by going to www.malegislature.gov/
A summary of our priorities and related amendments follows (the hyperlinks, which include all current co-sponsors, are courtesy of Mass. Coalition for the Homeless):
- Secure Jobs funding increase, Amendment #832 – Lead Sponsor Senator Barrett, with co-sponsors Senators Eldridge, Gobi, Rodrigues, Brownsberger and Moore (would increase Secure Jobs funding to $2 million)
- Shelter for individuals funding, Amendment #802 – Lead Sponsor Senator Forry (would increase the individual shelter bed rate from $25 to $30/night)
- RAFT expansion and funding increase, Amendment #706 – Senator Eldridge – (would increase RAFT funding to $18.5 million to make RAFT available to individuals, including elderly and unaccompanied homeless youth)
- Housing and services for unaccompanied youth, Amendment #355 – Lead Sponsor Senator Lewis (would provide for $4 million in funding for unaccompanied homeless youth)
- Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program funding and language, Amendment #779 – Lead Sponsor Senator Forry (would increase MRVP funding to $120 million)
- HomeBASE expansion and renewal, Amendment #426 – Lead Sponsor Senator Chang-Diaz (would eliminate cap on HomeBASE resource available to families in domestic violence and substance abuse programs; would make HomeBASE renewable after 12 month period if certain conditions met)
- Home and Healthy for Good LGBT young adult earmark, #759 – Senator Eldridge (would support LGBT unaccompanied homeless youth funding of not less than $200,000 – currently DIAL/SELF in Franklin County runs such a program)
- Home and Healthy for Good funding, Amendment #800 – Lead Sponsor Senator Forry (would increase funding to $2.3 million)
- Tenancy Preservation Project, #609 Lead Sponsor Senator Brady with co-sponsor Senator L’Italien (would increase funding to $975,000)
- McKinney-Vento education transportation funding increase for children experiencing homelessness, Amendment #190 – Lead Sponsor Senator Lovely (would increase funding from $8.35 million to $24.3 million)
- Western MA Network to End Homelessness earmark, Amendment #592– Lead Sponsor Senator Humason, with co-sponsors Senator Downing, Senator Lesser (would fund the Network at $125,000)
Thank you for your advocacy!
